MR. COOKE EXPLAINS PROPER USE OF THE SPARK SCREEN

PROPER USE OF SILK SCREEN

T. G. Cooke, Dillsburg

| November/December 1983

(This article is reprinted intact from The Right of Way,
published by the Pennsylvania Threshermen's & Farmers'
Protective Association, issue of March 26, 1919, courtesy of Howard
Gibble, Mount Joy, RD 1, PA.)

A little article on York county's trouble with the fire
insurance companies regarding the use of a spark screen when near a
barn might be interesting to the threshermen. After our committee,
composed of Edward Jacobs, W. D. Slonaker, George Jacobs and T. G.
Cooke, visited several of the largest insurance companies doing
business in York county and explained to them the principle of the
cone-shaped screen usually used we found we had no fight with them
as they accepted our explanation and were well satisfied.

Inasmuch as the currents of steam, smoke and cinders are in the
center of the smoke stack the current is divided by the point of
the screen and heavy sparks and cinders are deflected and thrown
against the sides of the smoke stack. Unless the draft is very
great the spark will drop into the smoke box which accounts for the
smoke box filling with ashes and a cleaning is frequently needed.
If the spark does not fall into the smoke box it will strike the
cast ring to which the screen is attached to and be thrown sideways
and down to the ground where it will do no harm.

Even though the ring holding the screen be raised several inches
above the top of the smoke stacks it is still considered and
efficient spark arrester and gives sufficient protection and
entirely fills the requirements of the underwriters' policy.
But they ask us to use extra precaution when putting a machine in
the barn by closing or dropping the screen tight on the top of the
smoke stack, making it spark-proof if not too large a screen be
used.

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They asked and recommended that nothing larger than one-half
inch mesh be used on a cone-shaped screen where the current of
smoke and sparks strike the screen at an angle and a three-eighth
mesh on a flat screen, but asked us to use a still smaller one if
possible. A one-eighth mesh can be used if the ring on the screen
be raised two inches above the top of the smoke stack. This gives
very good protection when lowered for a few minutes when very close
to a building.

It is next to impossible to keep in all sparks when wood is used
or the farmer has carelessly placed his pile of coal on a lot of
chips or bark. But, brother threshermen, have your screen and keep
it in use as above explained and the farmer is sufficiently
protected and within the requirements of the underwriters of the
state.